Wanted
by Egyptian Kat
Summary: AU - The Avatar's return has been kept a secret for the past three years. As the comet nears Katara and Sokka enlist the help of Iroh as Aang's firebending teacher. But no one really knows who the other is. Can they keep their secrets wile on the run?
1. Encounters

**WANTED**

* * *

AU - The Avatar's return has been kept a secret for the past three years. As the comet nears Katara and Sokka enlist the help of Iroh as Aang's firebending teacher. But no one really knows who the other is. Can they keep their secrets wile on the run?

10/11/2009

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Encounters**

The air was dusty.

She didn't like it when the air was dusty. It meant the moisture was all but gone from the air, which meant it was going to be that much harder for her to defend herself if the need would arise. It made her resort to tactics she'd rather not even admit to knowing about.

"You're not making this easy." she retorted dryly as her brother bumped into her for the nth time.

"We'll you're just grumpy because there's a drought and you don't like carrying water pouches."

"No, I'm grumpy because you're a klutz and we've been walking in circles for two days."

"We're not walking in circles Katara, I know exactly where we're going." Sokka huffed, kicking a rock forward a couple of paces.

"I want a bed."

"And I want a steak. But we can't have everything we want, now can we?"

"I hate you."

"And I love you little sis." Sokka fake smiled. "Now hurry up before it gets dark, we should be there soon."

* * *

The town was not what she was expecting. Half a dozen buildings lined either side of the single street that split itself down the middle of the town. Dry wind whipped it's way between the equally dry wood of the buildings. She had to squint her eyes against the course sand that batted against her tan face. The sun was just starting to set, taking the heat of the day with it and casting a furious red blush across the desert landscape.

"You realize," she sighed, coiling her long braid under the hat she carried and checking her chest wrappings, "that if this is the wrong town we're screwed."

"We're not screwed." Sokka replied almost too quickly. "It's the right town. I'm positive."

"But if you're…"

"I'm not."

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Zuko was tipping back a shot of fire whiskey when the double doors of the saloon thumped open and the two newcomers walked through. The dusty color of their skin declared them as Water Tribe. He watched their reflections from the bar's backsplash mirror. To his surprise they made his was over to his uncle at one of the game tables. The bigger one bent down and whispered into the General's ear while, to his curiosity, the smaller one stood to the side in a semi-defensive position.

He couldn't make out much from where he was sitting, but he figured the larger tribesman and his sword would be a much better match for whatever trouble they could meet in the bar. The smaller one, in comparison, looked weak and distinctly feminine. But whatever, it wouldn't be his problem if the local 'sheriff' decided to make a call. His uncle could handle himself, and if the need arose, they'd disappear before anyone ever really realized they had been there.

He half-heartedly watched as his uncle stood, bowing polity to the strangers. They both bowed in return before the General ushered them over to an empty table. Once again the larger one took the lead while the smaller one assumed guard duty. It was as if they were expecting trouble.

'But Uncle can take care of himself.' He reasoned internally, signaling the bartender for another round.

* * *

"We seek a master." Katara heard her brother whisper into the soft ear of the bearded man.

A second passed before the old man, The General, responded.

"I see." He sighed. "Then lets begin the lesson." The old man stood and gestured to an empty table on the other side of the room. To Katara's surprise he grabbed the table's tea pot before moving.

Katara couldn't help but feel uneasy as her brother and their prospective teacher sat down. She never sat down in strange places. It left her with her back exposed to attack and unfamiliar territory to contend with. And while her brother was under the impression he was protecting her, she had long ago suspected that it was quite the reverse scenario. But she'd let Sokka think what he'd like so long as they kept themselves alive and focused on their mission.

The saloon looked harmless enough as she leaned against a nearby wall. Despite that, she felt as if something bad was about to happen. Naturally she'd suspect the General. He was already considered a traitor by his own country and no matter how many good things Kiyan had to say about the old firebender and his 'cause', she would always suspect that of his nature. But the feeling of unease didn't originate from the old man. Instead she concentrated on the front door and the wall of bottles lining the mirror backsplash of the bar.

"We seek a master." She heard Sokka repeat.

"So I've heard." The old man replied, sipping at his teacup. "But for whom?"

She could hear Sokka gulp from where he sat. They never said his name in public. It taboo this late into the war. "We seek a master for the Avatar."

To Katara's mild shock, the General seemed un-phased by her brother's declaration. "So he's mastered the other elements already?" the old man finally replied after drain his cup of tea.

Sokka's mouth flapped open a few times before he found the words to respond. "We've been in the Earth Kingdom for two years, and year in the Northern Tribe before that."

"So he is an airbender." The general sighed almost happily and poured himself another cup of tea and two more for the Water Tribe siblings. "I was afraid that great race had died."

"It did." Katara replied quietly from her place against the wall.

The General turned his gold eyes on her at her words. "Then how?"

"It's a long story." Sokka replied for her, giving her a glare of disapproval. He didn't like her drawing attention to herself. There was a reason they were disguising her as a boy, and her pitch of voice would not help her cause. She was already at a disadvantage in this dry climate. "But that's not the point. We're running out of time and we need a master before…"

"Before the arrival of the comet." The General finished for him.

Both siblings' faces paled at the name. "So it is still known amongst firebenders."

"Yes." The General admitted. "It would be a great time for my people if not for the great destruction it will bring."

No one said anything in response to the old man's words. The moment of silence continue before he spoke again.

"I will agree to be his master." He replied, setting his cup down with and air of purpose. "But I have a condition."

Katara didn't like the sound of this man having a 'condition.' She didn't fee like he had quite earned her trust enough to bargain with them. She stared at the backsplash mirror waiting for the general's response.

And then the door of the saloon slapped open and a raven-haired young woman stepped through. The saloon's atmosphere immediately died; withering up and blowing away with the breeze that swept momentarily through the room. Katara didn't get to hear what the general wanted because he didn't have a chance to say it before the raven haired woman's gaze settle decisively upon the old man's face.

Katara could feel the old man freeze next to her and then the unmistakable sensation that the temperature was rising despite the coolness of the night.

"Uncle." The woman's clear and cold voice rang through the stillness of the room. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"I have no doubt about that Princess." The general responded, giving his niece a look that said he believed nothing she said.

* * *

It took everything within Zuko not to spit out his third shot of whiskey as he watched his little sister walk through the doors of the saloon. Up until that point he had been watching his uncle and his exchange between the strangers. Up until that point his uncle was starting to act a little more like he used to and the new comers had seemed to start relaxing. And then Azula had walked in.

Zuko's blood had run cold as he watched her cruel gaze rest upon the old man. It took everything within him not to bolt across the room and whisk him as far away from evil Princess as possible. But after all his years of running, he knew that the best way to deal with Azula was to avoid dealing with her period. He felt that no matter how many years his uncle trained him, his firebending would never reach the same levels as his sister's. So in the end, running was always the best course of action.

But Azula had only noticed Uncle. Her ignorance of his presence was giving him in the advantage and he'd be damned if he'd squander it. He probably only had one chance to get away from his sister's ruthless clutches. He'd fought for years to remain out of her grasp; out of his nation's grasp; out of his father's.

Azula snapped her fingers, her version of "seize him", and the two figures behind her moved deftly towards his uncle. He threw himself from the bar, hoping to reach Uncle before Azula's cronies did. But in the time he'd made that decision and acted upon it, someone had already beaten him to the punch. As he swung around he could see the bigger of the two stranger's pushing his uncle towards the back door and the smaller one forming a deadly cloud of ice daggers between his uncle and his new companion.

"A waterbender!" Azula laughed manically. "Why I haven't seen a waterbender in years! Father will be disappointed to realize that you're not all rotting at the bottom of the poles." And then she turned sharply to her left and settled her gaze on him. "And Zuko, my dear brother. I see you're becoming a bit slow in protecting our dear uncle. You'd think after all the times I've battled you, you would've gotten better at figuring out when I was near."

"What do you want Azula." He replied, feeling the fires begin to lick between his fists. A look of realization from the waterbender caught Zuko's attention. He motioned for him to follow his uncle. The waterbender nodded and slowly began to retreat towards the back, still keeping the ice daggers aimed and at the ready. He had no idea who the waterbender was, or what they wanted. All he knew was that a man willing to put themselves between Azula and his uncle was a man to be trusted. Azula didn't miss the interaction and motioned for her own companions to move to follow.

"AZULA!" Zuko roared, attempting to get his sister's attention back on him and not on his uncle's retreating back. "What do want?" he repeated.

Azula's face twisted up into a sinister smile. "Oh Zu-Zu, you know exactly what I want." She replied, calling forth her own blue flames. "Your death."

* * *

Katara tried not to trip as she kept her front towards the town and her suspected attackers. She had no doubt the Fire Nation Princess would send someone after them, and running backwards was causing her to concentrate on something other then keeping on the defensive. She didn't know whether or not her attackers would be benders or not and she struggled to keep her attention focused on the signs of a bending attack and her brother and the General.

"Katara!" she heard her brother shriek as two figures stepped out of the darkness.

"I hate fighting in the dark." One of the figures, a young woman dressed all in black, complained dully as she pulled something out from her sleeves. Katara didn't recognize the long, thin blades of iron gripped between the young woman's fingers. But she immediately understood their purpose.

"Oh Mai." The other figure giggled. "But it's such a challenge. Besides they're both kind of cute."

Katara rolled her eyes. Up until that point she didn't think her 'male' disguise was all that convincing. She stopped, stood her ground and accessed the situation. While the girl dressed in black presented deadly looking weapons, the girl dressed all in pink stood there practically blinking at her. This worried Katara slightly. Either this innocent looking girl was going to get herself killed or she possessed something that didn't need a weapon. She didn't look like a firebender and she didn't possess the physical form of an earthbender.

The whistling of one of the dark girl's iron darts announced the first attack, and before Katara could think about anything else she was battling two fronts and praying to the spirits that Sokka would get Aang the firebending master he so desperately needed.

.

.

.

.

.

* * *

**A/N:** This is kind of a weird amalgamation between Avatar and a John Wayne movie. I'm not really one for westerns, but the whole western theme in "The Chase" during Season 2 got me kind of thinking... and this is NOT a modern AU. I'm just, you know... going out on a limb. Let me know what you think. If things seem kind of vague, I did that on purpose. I'll open up the explanations to why things are the way they are in future chapters. Also, this story was written and edited by me. So any mistakes and/or typos are solely my own and I take full responsibility for sounding like an illiterate fool. Thanks for reading and leave a message/review if the fancy strikes you.

And yes you read right. This is a Zutara story.

Why?

Because I can.


	2. Rescue

**WANTED**

**Chapter 2**

**Rescue**

Sweat poured down his face as Zuko attempted to dodge yet another volley of flames from Azula's end of the saloon. He couldn't help but see that the building was slowly catching fire around them. Azula launched a complicated uppercut and forced Zuko to dip towards the floor, rolling away before she could bring a flaming heel down on top of him.

"You know, I bet that waterbender is already dead and the girls have got Uncle tied up like a chicken-pig." Azula purred from her position across the room.

Zuko's tempered flared at her words and he roared as he lunged upwards and swung his foot through the air at his sister's face. Despite his efforts, however, Azula easily ducked, swinging her own leg up and cracking it against his ankle. Pain flared through Zuko's leg, but he ignored it. He couldn't let Azula know that he was hurt. The longer it took for her to get through him the longer his uncle had to escape.

"Poor Zu-Zu." Azula mocked. "That sounded like it hurt."

"Not as much as you are going to later." Zuko declared calmly before he launched a series of large fireballs towards his sister. Any patrons who didn't leave at the first sight of flames where now jumping through the windows and pouring out the back door.

* * *

Katara struggled to keep herself away from the two women attacking her. While blocking waves of kicks and jabs from bazaar angles, she had realized who these people where. Some circles called them "The Guard" and for that she understood. It seemed that the Fire Nation Princess used these two girls as her personal guard wherever she went and for whatever it was that she did. It was no secret that the pink girl's jabs were meant to interrupt the critical flow of chi that every bender required in order to used their art. The dark girl, on the other hand, was know for being a deadly opponent in her own right. She once heard a story that she managed to rip out a man's tongue just by throwing one of her darts. The stories, at the time, terrified her.

Right now, as one of the dark girl's darts ripped through the sleeve of her shirt, Katara was just glad that she wasn't fighting against two firebenders and knew, more or less, what to expect. But as blood blossomed from the torn sleeve of her shirt, she knew that just knowing who these girls where was the last thing that was going to save her.

The fire that seemed to answer her internal worry, startled her, as it blossomed from the darkness behind her. She almost returned the sudden eruption of light with a icy water whip, but realized that the fire was from the General. Flames poured from the old man's fist, dripping to the ground and charring the sand and rocks it hit. She would've worried, questioning his loyalties, but the jet of white hot flame he directed at the two girls quelled the questioning within her.

The General let loose another jet of flame, thoroughly herding the two girls close together and into the perfect position for Katara to make her final attack. Pushing her senses out Katara felt for hidden moisture in the surrounding area and promptly called for it in distinctive pushing and pulling motions of her art. The protective orb of water in front of her grew and within seconds she had encased her two enemies up the elbows in thick, immovable ice. With their arms and legs effectively pinned by the frozen liquid, the two girls where rendered useless… at least until the ice melted.

But before Katara could even take a breather, the General was at her side grasping her shoulders and pleading with her. In the distance she could faintly hearing Sokka yelling for her. She ignored him.

"My nephew!" the old man pleaded. "I cannot leave him behind! We must go back for him!"

"There's no time!" she heard Sokka yell as he almost tripped down the rocky hill they had been slowly heading towards before the attack.

"I wouldn't do it." The dark girl replied indifferently, almost as if she wasn't more the half way encased in ice.

The girl in pink nodded. "Azula's been looking for you guys for years, I wouldn't get in her way. She's very determined."

"Young Waterbender, he is the only family I have left. I cannot leave him to face death at the hands of the Princess!" The old man looked like he was about to burst into tears. Katara heart ached for the man. She knew his distress, knew what it felt like to have only one to call family. But her reservations and Sokka yelling kept her rooted to the place. Sending the General back to get his nephew was out of the question. They had only just found Aang a firebending master; they weren't about to loose him now.

"I'll go." Katara answered, allowing her distinctly feminine voice to shatter the illusion of her disguise.

"He's a good boy." Iroh smiled, "Just a little confused and hurt is all."

Katara mumbled to herself; a confused firebender, great. She turned to her brother, "If I don't come back in half an hour leave without me." A look of horror passed over Sokka's face. "Don't give me that look!" she almost yelled, "This is bigger then me and you know it. Get him back to Aang and I'll find my own way back."

Sokka kept shaking his head no, but no words came out of his mouth. She quickly threw her arms around her older brother for a quick hug before running full speed back towards the now smoking saloon.

* * *

"You're insane!" Zuko yelled as the building started to burn furiously around them. His options of escape where narrowing by the second. The flaming backdoor was now out of the question, and Azula stood between freedom and death by cremation.

"Now Zuko, you know how I hate name calling." The Princess cooed darkly. "You know I have no intention of letting you get away this time. So I'll just have to let this tinderbox take care of you for me. But not before I have a little bit of fun with you first."

Zuko had to jump over the bar counter to escape the jet of blue flame that raced after him. He could almost feel the flamed licking his heels as he rolled over the counter and landed painfully on the floor.

A cool hand landed on his shoulder and before he could stop himself , a ball of fire erupted from his hands as he directed it at the stranger. He couldn't see how the attack was welcomed but a dirty, tanned face suddenly loomed over him with an angry look. It was the waterbender. Zuko didn't know whether or not to be grateful or to think the waterbender a probable idiot. Zuko struggled to get up, and was quickly assisted by his new comrade.

"Zuko!" Azula yelled from the other side of the bar. "You didn't impale yourself over there did you? You're making this too easy for me." And delighted giggle floated over the bar and Zuko almost felt like giving up at the hopelessness it made him feel.

Anger bubbled up again within Zuko's chest; coming out as a growl of frustration. He had spent years avoiding his sister; he wasn't about to let her get the best of them just as a new life was within grasp. Quickly summoning fire into his hands he made a motion to get up but the waterbender held him back. Irritated at being manipulated, Zuko directed his glare towards the obviously younger boy. Zuko opened his mouth to speak but the waterbender quickly pressed his finger to his mouth, signaling him to be quiet. A second later streams of liquor where twisting out of the bottles and collecting within the open hands of the younger boy. A look of horror settled over Zuko's face.

"Do you have any idea what is going to happen when you throw that at her?" he whispered harshly.

To his surprise the boy didn't answer him, only offering a weakly sinister smile. 'Yep,' Zuko thought, 'He knows exactly what's going to happen.'

He didn't wait for the boy to move before Zuko crouched low to the floor and had the collar of his jacket pulled up high around his neck. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of glass working it way down his back after the subsequent explosion. And the explosion that ripped through what remained of the saloon drowned out any reaction Azula would have had at seeing the waterbender's sudden appearance. Glass rained down over their bodies as they waited for the flames to die down enough to allow for an escape. His ears were still ringing as the waterbender hauled him up to his feet and was pushing him through a blown out window.

The shock of the waterbender's attack didn't seem to wear off until the shock of seeing Azula's cohorts frozen into pillars of ice replace it. Ty Lee and Mai where some of the greatest fighters he had ever seen, and to see them so completely incapacitated startled him.

"Hey Zuko!" Ty Lee greeted in her usual inappropriately cheery manner. Mai just nodded at him as the waterbender dragged him past their frozen positions.

Twenty minutes later he found himself back with his uncle, crushed in hug he was not expecting. He patted the old man's back tenderly, still not used to such displays of affection.

* * *

"Why do I have a feeling these aren't just ordinary firebenders?" Sokka asked his sister as they stood several feet away from the reunited uncle and nephew.

"I don't know, but I think the Princess called the General's nephew 'brother' back at the saloon." Katara whispered back, keeping her eye on the young man with the scar.

Sokka paled considerably. "That would mean that…" but he didn't want to finish the sentence.

"That we have the Crowned Prince and the Fire Lord's brother in our hands."

"But we don't know for sure." Sokka rationalized.

"We might not." Katara agreed, "But the last thing we need to do is introduced them to Aang."

"But if they are the Banished Princes, we still need a master for Aang." Sokka argued. "I mean, I think it's obvious where their loyalties are."

"I'd rather not try to guess where their loyalties are Sokka." Katara reasoned, whispering harshly, "that's just not something to try to guess at!"

"You just helped the General's nephew blow up his sister, I'm pretty sure that speaks volumes." Sokka glared.

"I didn't blow up his sister. She realized what I was doing and probably just got mildly stunned."

"Great now we're going to have to deal with her too, aren't we?"

"Probably." Katara sighed, readjusting the bindings disguising her chest. They were suffocating and she was itching to take them off, but now was not the time to tend to them. Besides, the Prince or whoever the heck he was still had no idea she was a girl, and it always made her feel a little bit better when she could keep that a secret.

"Well as long as they don't realize who we are, I think this might turn out okay."

"What, that this countryside is now officially swarming with lost royals? Sure, totally safe." Katara laughed sarcastically.

Sokka opened his mouth to bite back an equally rude remark, but was cut off when the General made his way towards the siblings. Sokka settled for throwing a disapproving glare at his younger sister before directing his attention to their new companions.

"I owe you my happiness young one." The General declared, offering Katara a deep bow. "My name is Iroh, though most know me as the Dragon of the West and…" Iroh stopped as both siblings took a step back. "I see you know the name." he said glumly.

Sokka spoke for both of them. "So you are the brother of the Fire Lord."

"Only by blood." Iroh replied darkly before turning to his scared nephew. "This here is Zuko…"

"The Crowned Prince of the Fire Nation."

"Yes." Iroh replied. "However we are both banished and hold no loyalties or relations with the royal family."

"So I'm not going to regret introducing you to the Avatar then?" Sokka asked wryly.

"Not in the slightest." Iroh laughed good-naturedly. Katara on the other hand did not miss the look of surprise that passed over the Prince's face. She knew he was unaware of their invitation to teach the Avatar, but sensed felt that it meant something quite different to the Banished Prince. Katara decided then and there that she may have trusted the General (to a certain extent), but his nephew was someone who was going to need watching.

"Well," Sokka continued, oblivious to Katara's internal realizations. "We don't have much to offer you other then a warm meal at night and a safe place to sleep."

Iroh threw his arm over Sokka's slightly taller shoulders. "That, my new friends, sounds like more then enough to me. May, I suggest though, in the meantime, that we find a place to sleep for the night?" The Dragon of the West asked, leading the young water tribesman back into the half dead trees.

Katara found herself standing under the night sky practically face to face with the Prince of the Fire Nation. She could help but stare him down, and she got the distinct feeling that he could sense her disproval. She almost expected him to say something; to tell her she was wrong in suspecting him of something terrible… or even telling her that she was right to worry. But the Prince said nothing, only staring at her through a half ruined face, and after a few more beats followed his uncle and her brother into the night.

Katara didn't follow immediately. Instead she looked down on the small town they had practically decimated less the half and hour earlier. It looked small from the hilltop, but the fire raging through the town made it more then easy to spot. Katara allowed a huff of frustration to slip past her mouth and tried to quell the sense of dread coiling up in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for their awesome reviews. It was nice to know that my story is appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry if some of you are a little confused. I promise, as the story goes on, that things will become a lot clearer. But as for now I'm including that air of mystery as an important part of my story. All I'm going to say is that, though the situations/people/details/facts may seem similar to the original storyline, not everything is going to be presented to you in a familiar fashion. Anyways, thanks again for reading and if you feel like reviewing, that's awesome!


	3. Men of Water and Fire

**WANTED**

**Chapter Three**

**Men of Water and Fire**

**

* * *

  
**

Ash and glass covered the Princess as she picked herself up from the ground; the explosion still ringing in her ears. Seeing the building before her no more then a pile of cinders she let out a furious scream.

Twenty minutes later she found her companions chipping away at their icy prisons with a pair of Mai's prized knives.

"And how, may I ask, did you end up in such a precarious position?" The Princess asked, not bothering to mask her fury as she walked up to them.

"Oh hey Azula." Ty Lee greeted, nervousness permeating through her voice.

"Waterbender." Mai answer Azula's question blandly.

"You two are supposed to be the best out there and you FAILED!" Azula screamed, throwing punches of fire at the remaining ice. The two non-benders collapsed to their knees, but remained kowtowed. "My only mission is to return my traitorous Uncle to Sozin and you let a pre-pubescent waterbender turn you into worthless popsicles!"

"Well it didn't help that Iroh helped him out and distracted us." Ty Lee attempted to reason.

Azula looked down on the pink clad girl with a furious stare. "I don't care if Iroh grew three heads and the waterbender was the Avatar. There is no room for failure!"

"Well that went well." Mia droned as the two watched the Princess of the Fire Nation stock back towards the half smoldered desert town.

* * *

The group walked until they reached a small spring nestled between several large boulders. A hillside to their back allowed them enough cover to start a fire and Sokka did so as the reminder of their group collapsed against the stones. Katara lowered herself slowly to the ground and dipped her hands into the cool water of the pond. Burns radiated across her fingers and up around her wrists. She waited until the fire was well and started before she summoned her healing powers. It was never a good thing for your enemies to know the full extent of your abilities; and Katara couldn't help but still be wary of their new companions. Behind her she could hear Iroh ask Sokka their names.

"I am Sokka of the Southern Tribes and this is my brother…" Katara squeezed her eyes shut, thinking of the name her brother would supply. "This is my brother Hakoda."

Fire and blood exploded in her memory before she quickly slammed it back into the darkness.

"What are Children of the Ice doing in the Land of Rock and Earth?" The old General asked, taking a seat near fire. Zuko did not follow and instead remained in the shadows, watching the darkness around them.

"What are two Fire Nation Royals doing in a seedy Earth Kingdom saloon?" Sokka asked, not keeping the half-smile from his voice. They were used to this question.

"Fair enough." Iroh laughed, "I see what you mean."

"Our village was attacked three years ago. Our people were slaughtered, and in the rush to escape, we stumbled upon the tomb of the Avatar."

Katara could feel the breath of the two firebenders almost stop with shock and confusion. It was most people's reaction; not that they went around telling this story, only a few knew it.

"He wasn't dead." Sokka answered, "He was in this state of hibernation assisted by something Aang calls the 'Avatar State.' We discovered later that he'd been trapped in there in hibernation for more then a hundred years. He still thought his people existed."

A bitter taste filled Katara's mouth at the memory of their time in Southern Air Temple and the Avatar's emotional and spiritual breakdown. She could almost feel the wind whipping past her skin at the recollection.

"Anyways," Sokka continued, pushing a small copper pot over the embers, and signaled Katara. Quietly she filled the pot, and fishing a small pouch of rice out of her pack, tossed it to her brother before returning her attention to the rippling coolness of the pond. "We've spent the last three years finding masters for the Avatar."

"You mean he hasn't mastered the elements?" A hoarse voice asked from the dark. The prince stepped forward and sat next to his uncle, intent to hear the rest of the story.

"At the time, he had only master air. He likes to brag about being the youngest monk to ever earn the tattoos. But no, he had not mastered the rest." Sokka explained.

"How old is the Avatar?" Iroh asked, sounding afraid to know the answer.

"He was 12 years old when we discovered him." Sokka sighed, knowing the reaction that was about to…

"What?" An angry voice erupted over the fire. Katara whipped around to see anger flood over Zuko's face. "The Avatar is a child!"

"Nephew!" Iroh replied harshly. "Sit down!"

"No!" Zuko burst out, "You've got a child training to take down the Fire Nation! Do you not see the insanity of this plan? Do you not see how wrong it is?" He stopped yelling as ice surrounded his neck.

* * *

Katara was sick and tired of the whole 'he's only a child' argument. Aang was more then a child now. He had seen too much, fought and bled too much to be discounted too easily. If she was the only one who was going to stand up for his chance to right the world, then she'd do it until Aang could truly prove himself.

So it didn't really surprise her when she found herself curling ice around the Prince's throat as anger flooded her system. It was hard for her not to yell at him, to tell him to shut up and remember he was only a guest in their quest to education the Avatar. So instead she settled for the tense starting contest that took place instead. Flames erupted in the Prince's hands and the ice quickly began to melt.

Sokka promptly stepped between them, throwing his sister yet another disapproving glare. "My brother is very protective of the Avatar. He believes Aang has what it takes, and backs him up one hundred precent. Please excuse his attack." He offered coolly.

Iroh, still sitting by the fire, grabbed hold of the edge of Zuko's tunic and pulled him roughly to the floor. "It is not our place to judge or assume nephew." Iroh managed sternly. "You think you would've learned that by now."

Katara watched as the Prince merely shook his head and crossed his arms angrily over his chest. Still feeling confrontational Katara retreated back to her seat by the water's edge to calm down. It was times like these, times when she felt angry and mean, that she was glad to be a waterbender. Calmness quickly enveloped her as she stuck her fingers into the wet coolness of the spring and listened to Sokka continue their story.

"We spent our first year with the Avatar in the North. It took us a few weeks and some intense bargaining, but we were able to find a master to teach both Aang and Hakoda. After that we headed here to the Earth Kingdom. We've been here two years. Aang learns quickly but it took him a while to get a hang of earthbending."

"No doubt due to the opposite nature of his inborn element." Iroh commented.

Sokka laughed, spooning the swollen grains of rice into bowls and handing them out. Katara took hers gratefully and ate slowly. "Toph wouldn't put it that lightly, but yes. That was exactly the problem. Toph, his sifu, deemed him a master about three months ago. We'd been looking for a firebending master since we got here, and we did find one but that didn't end so well. Jeong Jeong was a bit of a rebel, and it was hard to keep hidden when he kept drawing so much attention to himself."

"That sounds like Jeong Jeong." Zuko muttered darkly.

"You know him?"

"Uncle served with him." Zuko answered, not elaborating.

"Anywho…" Sokka continued awkwardly, "We'd almost given up when we stumbled across some very interesting Pai Sho players near Omashu about a month ago. I'm not entirely sure how the topic came up but they told us about some firebenders hiding out in the Omashu Desert Territory. They told us to look for an old Pai Sho player and a…" Sokka paused, looking briefly at Zuko, "A young man with a scar like a comet."

* * *

It took a lot for Zuko not to brush his fingers over the left side of his face. It was a habit he'd formed as soon as he could touch that side of his face without blacking out in pain. Almost seven years later and he still couldn't help but tactfully acknowledge it whenever it was mentioned or thought about.

For a brief moment he wondered if his mother would recognize him if she saw him.

A wave of grief and nausea passed over before he forced the thought aside. His mother was dead and would never look upon his ruined face. He was almost happy for that, knowing that she would never know the pain her daughter and husband had inflicted upon her precious firstborn son.

Instead he thought about Sokka's story and Hakoda's reaction to his outburst.

The older brother seemed to be the mouthpiece for the two siblings. It seemed the younger of the two was the stronger one, and not because he seemed to be the only bender. It took a lot to remain quiet during times of change and confrontation; and Zuko knew for a fact that the boy wasn't a mute. Something wasn't quite right with the waterbender. But until he chose to show his true character, Zuko settled for guessing until that moment came.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that took me a lot longer to finish then I originally planned. I write fan fiction in mild secrecy. My boyfriend makes fun of me when he realizes what I'm doing. But whatever, I got him addicted to Bejeweled. Anyways... I'm not particularly fond of this chapter, but it's what I got. Questions? Comments?


	4. Extension

**WANTED**

**Chapter Four**

**Extension**

**

* * *

  
**

The firebender, Zuko, was having a nightmare. Katara watched silently from her sleeping roll across the fire as he struggled and moaned in his sleep. She wondered, briefly, what was terrifying him so badly before she forced herself to wonder if she'd have to deal with additional noise every night. Sokka and his snoring was already a lot to handle.

But just as the thrashing and calling out seemed to reach a crescendo Iroh silently rolled over and placed his weathered hand over the young man's heart. The prince seemed to still almost immediately. She could hear the old man's quiet whispered and again wondered what ailed the young firebender.

"I should guessed you'd be up a this hour… so close as it is to a full moon." He said, suddenly directing his attention towards her sleeping spot. It caught her off guard and she instinctively shrank into her soft blue blankets. Iroh chuckled lightly at her reaction before smoothing his hand over his nephew's wrinkled brow. "But I suppose that's a good thing. I can never complain about someone standing guard, even if it is unintentional. Though I suppose it would be far easier with an earthbender in company. They're so very good at spotting a threat before it can be seen."

Katara smiled, recognizing the old man's tactics. "That's one of Toph's specialties." she replied, not bothering to hide her voice. Her cover was blown with Iroh, but that still didn't mean she wasn't going to keep up the charade when it came to Zuko. She had a distinct feeling that, at one point or another, it would be an important ruse. "But she's with Aang now, watching over him."

"And if you don't mind me asking, where would that be?" Iroh prodded gently.

"All I can tell you right now is that we will be walking four days to the east."

"Oh!" Iroh exclaimed, sounding pleased. "I have a very nice friend who lives in the east."

_'I'm sure you do._' Katara thought to herself, wondering how the soft mannered old man got stuck with his ill-tempered nephew. _'Probably because he pissed off everyone else he knew.'_ She thought sourly.

* * *

Fire and blood filled his dreams that night. Faces he'd fought for seven years to forget suddenly flooded his vision. He could see his hands desperately trying to rip rock away from his cousin's body as he slowly burned. He could see his hands covered in his mother's blood; could see her face as she tried to smile in death.

His father's face lashed out at him… laughing at him, laughing at his weakness. He could feel the bile rise with his shame.

He could remember again, what it was like to be so young, to be charged with such a burden and failing so miserably.

Guilt, terror and shame threatened to overwhelm him.

"You are safe young one." He suddenly heard his uncle's voice cut through the images of blood and fire.

"I am here and you are safe." Slowly the fires began to die. Slowly only embers remained.

"We're going to right the past Prince Zuko. We're going to make your mother proud of you." Slowly even the embers began to fade; and slowly Zuko slipped into the darkness of a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning Katara avoided both newcomers. She quickly and silently prepared a breakfast porridge and the group sat in a rough circle as they listen to Sokka tell an elaborate and exaggerated story about hunting a saber-toothed moose-lion.

As Katara packed her belonging back into her satchel, Zuko confronted her.

"I'm sorry about my outburst last night." He explained lethargically, looking at the ground and not bothering to meet her gaze.

Katara suspected his uncle put him up to it.

"I just, uhm…" he seemed to be thinking about what to say; his brow knit tightly together as a faraway look passed over his face. "It's not about his ability; I'm sure he's a great bender… I just have a hard time with the idea of having a fifteen-year-old training to face off the Fire Lord."

Katara couldn't help but admit that the confession surprised her. She could tell, from the brief displays of Zuko's firebending, that he was nearing mastership. He couldn't be more then twenty or so years old. It was a perfectly acceptable age for his level of bending ability, probably even a bit above average. She wondered why Aang's age bothered him. Again Katara wondered what Zuko's story was.

"It's just, I've fought Ozai, I mean, the Fire Lord." Zuko tried to explain. "It's going to take a lot more then a fifteen year old Avatar to defeat him."

Katara suddenly wanted to tell him that there was going to be a lot more then just a fifteen-year-old Avatar fighting his father. She wanted to tell him that he had no comprehension of Aang's skill. She wanted to tell him that age had nothing to do with their ultimate goal. She wanted to tell him that all they really needed was his uncle, and if he didn't mind they'd continue the trip without him.

But at the same time, and beyond a recognizable reason, Katara suddenly wanted to ask him about his scar, his banishment and why his struggled and called out in his sleep. The urge was strong, but brief. She could feel her own forehead start to crease. The urge to talk, however was overwhelming, so Katara was forced to ignore the Prince and his apology. Taking one last look at the seemingly flustered firebender Katara turned her back and continued packing her belongings.

A frustrated huff of air sounded behind her. "Remind me to forget about apologizes whenever it comes to you." He muttered before returning to his uncle's side of the campsite.

They walked until Sokka forced the group to stop just after midday. The day was hot and they'd just reached the edge of a small lake. "Look, I'm just a normal guy. I can't make ice whenever I feel like it and I can't say I'm unaffected by the heat." He complained, throwing the three benders a mild look of distain. "So I'm going to sit in the shade for and hour until my blood stops boiling, if you don't mind."

Katara rolled her eyes as she watched him unceremoniously collapse to the ground underneath a sizeable pine. They had been slowly making their way into the mountain range that lined the eastern coast of the Earth Kingdom. If they were lucky they would be able to get halfway through before tomorrow afternoon. Aang was supposed to meet them at the coast in four days and she really didn't want to spend any more time in the Earth Kingdom then absolutely necessary.

* * *

Zuko was still irritated at the waterbender for so casually blowing off his apology earlier that morning. He'd spent the first half of the day glaring at is back as they slowly made their way into the southeastern mountain range of the Earth Kingdom. Slowly the desert was giving way to small evergreens, and from there large trees began to fill the skyline as they climbed gradually higher.

But still, the rejection from the waterbender bothered him. He couldn't shake the look he'd given him. Usually he seemed disapproving or oddly blank. But in this circumstance, Zuko could almost say that the waterbender seemed… surprised. For what reason he wasn't sure and he dwelled about for the rest of the day. He was glad Sokka had insisted upon a rest stop. Zuko really wanted at least a few moments alone to ponder his future.

He never expected two Water Tribe brothers would wander into a Si Wong Desert bar and ask Uncle to teach a Boy Avatar to bend fire. He groaned again, thinking of his age and responsibility this group of strangers had heaped on his shoulders. Sure Ozai was a tyrant, his nation had completed the worst genocide in history and would carry out more if it could mange it. Zuko understood the necessity or removing his father from the throne… but to put it in the hands of a boy?

Zuko settled himself against the bark of a tree several feet from the edge of the lake and tried not to think about his own fifteenth year.

He had no idea where this was adventure was going to take him, he just hoped the scaring would be kept to a minimum.

* * *

Katara watched Zuko from the safety of the water. She had not expected the firebender to approach the lake and caught her off-guard. Thankfully she had time to hide behind the reeds before Zuko would have the opportunity to notice her. Not only would her disguised be ruined, but she was completely naked.

Twenty minutes later the firebender hadn't moved and wasn't even bothering to nod off. Ten minutes after that Katara decided she had had enough and quietly extended her arm, snaking it through the reeds into the direction of the distracted firebender. Drawing her hand into a gentle fist she willed the blood in Zuko's head to slow down and he quietly slipped into slumber.

* * *

**A/N:** I was blazing through this story, and then I had a mental lapse…. And then I figured it out and picked up speed again… and then my mom turned on the Monty Python's Lawyer's Cut and I was ruined.

Anyways, I would really appreciate some reviews. It'd be nice to know if this story is making any sense to anyone. Otherwise I'll probably be convinced to give up on this project. I've got a bunch of adventures planned out for this story and I'd really like to share them with you guys.


	5. Defense

**Wanted**

**Chapter 5**

**Defense**

Katara, with her hair still damp under the cover of her hat, settled as quietly next to her brother as possible.

"Were have you been?" his not so quiet voice asked from below the tipped brim of his own hat.

"I was taking a bath." She replied calmly, knowing that she'd upset her brother either way she explained her whereabouts. The hat went flying as he shot up from his relaxed position. A look of blatant furry passed over Sokka's face.

"You what?" he hissed.

"Bath. I'm a waterbender and I haven't been near a reasonable amount of water in three days." She reasoned, settling into her own position of comfort. "Besides, I was filthy."

"And now you look like a girl!" Sokka grumbled, still not relaxing. "Make sure you rub some dirt of your face or something before Iroh and Zuko return."

"Iroh knows I'm a girl."

"Yeah, but Prince I-Have-A-Temper doesn't." Sokka argued. "And if you don't mind, I'd really like it to stay that way."

Katara threw her brother a hard glare. "You know what, I don't have to argue with you. You're acting like I'm oblivious to the world we live in. You'd think I might even understand the dangers a little better then you would."

Sokka sighed, finally settling back into his position against the tree. "I just don't want to have to deal with another Jet." Katara's stomach riled slightly at the mention of Jet. The memories were never something she liked to relive, and despite her brother's intentions, she didn't really appreciate him bringing it up.

"That was almost three years ago Sokka." Katara managed to say calmly. "I'm pretty sure that situation will never repeat itself."

"I know Sis." Sokka relented. "I'd just rather be safe then sorry."

'You're not the only one.' Katara thought as she pulled her own hat over her eyes and settled down for a quick nap.

---

Zuko woke to the gentle poking of a long stick. Before he knew why the stick was there, flames erupted from his hands and feet as he swept himself up into a fighting stance.

"It's nice to know that you're taking the time to rest Nephew." Iroh laughed, holding up the stick he had used to awaken him. "But I believe that it is now time to get moving."

Resting? Zuko didn't understand it. He never slept during the middle of the day. It was practically unheard of for a firebender to nod off under the heat of the midday sun. He suddenly felt weak. "I was asleep?" He muttered to himself, trying to figure out how it happened. Apart from his uncle, he seemed to be the only one around. He briefly wondered where the Water Tribe siblings where before he could hear their muffled talking behind a nearby set of conifers.

"How long was I out?" Zuko asked, turning to his Uncle.

Putting finger to the charred tip of his stick, Iroh shrugged his shoulders. "I would think almost an hour?"

Zuko wrinkled his brow. "And how long after you last saw me did you find me asleep?"

Iroh threw his nephew a quizzical look. "Why is it so important?"

Anger steamed through Zuko's system. Why was it so important? Couldn't he see how unnatural it was for him to be found asleep at this time of day? Couldn't he see the dangers involved in him being unconscious out in the open like that? What if Azula had attacked? He was positive she'd go for the pot shot and kill him as he slept. Why couldn't his uncle see that?

But instead of yelling at Iroh and pointing out the obvious to him, and giving the Water Tribe siblings another reason to be wary of him, Zuko calmly strode to the lake and splashed the cold water up to his face.

----

Half an hour later they were all back to trudging up into the mountains. Zuko guessed that, if the pace was steady and they didn't encounter any difficulties, they would reach the southern shores of the Earth Kingdom in three days. After that, however, he wasn't quite sure where he'd end up. So far he was under the distinct impression that his Uncle had bargained his accompaniment with the Water Tribe siblings. On top of that, he was pretty sure that they didn't like that he was there. He couldn't make out exactly why, but he guessed it had something to do with the younger boy, Hakoda.

He lifted his head and settled his gaze on the back of the younger boy's faded blue tunic. Sokka towered next to him, wearing the same dull blue. Both boys where shaped similarly, but Sokka was at least five or so inches taller then his younger brother. And while Sokka had kept the side of his head shaven close to the scalp with the rest pulled into the typical Wolf Tail; Hakoda always wore a wide brimmed hat that constantly cast a dark shadow over what skin the waterbender hadn't covered up with a well worn strip of cotton. Several water pouches crisscrossed over the young bender's back, the weight of water inside causing the leather straps to cut into his shoulders.

Zuko was suddenly glad that his bending was internally ignited. He couldn't imagine the annoyance if he had to constantly rely on a pre-existing source of fire to create his bending. He was glad to be a firebender, but not enough to feel sorry for the waterbender and his burden.

It seemed, as he watched him, that it was an accustomed weight for the young bender. In the long run, Zuko figured, it was probably a good training exercise for someone as small as Hakoda. Zuko wondered if it was a self-imposed task or if his master had insisted upon the practice. And how old could Hakoda possibly be? No more then 15 at the most, he was too short and slight. But his level of mastership forced Zuko to second-guess. He guessed Sokka to be close to his age, nearing 20 years. He guessed if the boys were close in age, they'd be close in size… unless they weren't really brothers or Hakoda was some sort of oddity amongst the tall men of the Water Tribes. The thought, however, of Hakoda being a younger master, caused a small flame of jealousy to burn within his chest. He pushed it away, slightly ashamed of his reaction to the thought. Masters where few and far between, not to mention that they tended to be a lot older then either him or Hakoda.

But, then of course, there was Azula.

They walked for two days before they encountered another village. Their small group had reached high into the mountains and despite the summer heat radiating from the Wong Se Tong desert, snow still spotted the landscape of the mountains. Chill air bit at the faces of the firebenders, and the fog of their hot breaths appeared long before that of the waterbender.

The smell of smoke and the steady tapping of hammers hinted at the presence of the village before it came into sight. They stopped before the walked beyond they tree line.

"We need supplies." Sokka declared, turning the address the three. "I'll only be gone for half an hour at most. When I'm done I'll meet you at the tree line on the eastern side of town.

"If I'm not back before nightfall," Sokka continued turning to the waterbender. "You know what to do." Zuko watched as Hakoda nodded his head, his gaze serious. Sokka placed a heavy hand on his brother's shoulder and a moment later, walked out of the woods.

Hakoda stood there for a moment before turning and began to skirt the outside of the clearing. They walked in silence until they reached the eastern most point of the town's tree line, just out of site of a small outhouse and a rough-hewn road. Zuko half expected the waterbender to perch himself upon a group of boulders sticking out of the ground, but instead uncorked his waterskin. Zuko started at the sudden movement and quickly made a stance. The waterbender, seeing this just rolled his eyes before looking back to a large pine that bordered the clearing. Zuko, still expecting an attack was surprised when Hakoda, forming a tendril of water, directed it upwards and almost immediately disappeared into the boughs of the tree.

"Relax Zuko." Iroh chuckled from his seat on the rock. "The boy is merely looking out for his brother."

Zuko sighed and extinguished his flames before taking a seat next to his uncle. "I'm under the impression that Sokka doesn't want Hakoda looking out for him."

Iroh chuckled. "That maybe true. But Sokka knows he can count on Hakoda to do the right thing even if it means forsaking him for the greater cause."

"I do not see how teaching a kid to be an assassin is 'the greater cause'." Zuko mumbled darkly.

"It is not about teaching the Avatar his elements, it's about ending the war." Iroh said somberly, tucking his large hands into the sleeves of his robe. "While only you and I may be running from our own country, Sokka and his people have been hunted by the Fire Nation for over a century. While we may be the last of Fire Nation royalty, Sokka and Hakoda are the last of their kind. Even then, Hakoda is the last native waterbender the southern tribe had before General Zhao obliterated them seven years ago. It is a wonder they are still alive."

Zuko sat very still for a very long time after his uncle's story. While Zuko suffered under the weight of his banishment and the murder of his mother, the tale of the Water siblings suddenly seemed to outweigh his pain. A wave of guilt passed over him, calming his inner fires and releasing a short spasm of shivers as the cold flowed over his cooling skin. He wondered what it would be like to have no country… at least more-so then he was at that very moment. To never see another firebender in his lifetime made him suddenly glad to only be a banished prince. While he may never be welcomed home by it's ruling powers, he was glad to know that his homeland still existed, still breathed even as it spread terror and destruction.

A flurry of pine needles falling from above suddenly alerted Zuko to the outside world. Looking up he could see Sokka running from the town while the waterbender frantically slid down the side of the tree.

"Run!" Sokka yelled as he broke through the first row of conifers. Behind him, Zuko could see several mounted men chasing the fast moving boy. Acting quickly Zuko grabbed his uncle's forearm and was pulling them after the siblings before they had a chance to blow past them.

"What's going on?" Zuko yelled as the dodged tree after tree.

"Bounty hunters!" Sokka yelled back, narrowly missing a low hanging branch. They were in the town posting wanted posters of the four of us. I saw the posters just as they spotted me. I didn't even have time to get any meat!"

The sound of crashing feet and breaking branches where drawing nearer. "Can you block them at all?" Sokka yelled as the continued to weave frantically through the trees. Zuko could hear his uncle's labored breath next to him and wondered how much time they had before he'd have to stop.

"Not without sitting fire to the trees!" Zuko yelled back, whilst jumping over a fallen log. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hakoda motion something to his brother.

"Never mind! We're coming up to a river, we'll be safe once we reach it." Sokka replied. Several paces later they were wading into the rocky shallows of a large mountain river.

"Safe?" Zuko yelled, trying to keep is breath under control. "How are we supposed to be safe if we can't even get to the other side?"

Hakoda's head snapped to the side in reply, a look of fear and anger flaring up. With suddenly rolling motions the waterbender's arms where pointed skyward and before Zuko could realize what was happening, river water was following Hakoda's physical suggestion and rising into the sky.

"Look!" Iroh exclaimed, pointing back down. A small pathway, framed by great walls of water, lead straight to the other side of the river. No wasted any time staring at the great wonder Hakoda was managing to produce. Another moment later they were on the other bank and the wall of water were collapsing. As it settled they soon realized that Hakoda had not crossed with them. Instead he could be seen on the other side, pillars of ice encasing the legs of several ostrich-horses.

"Katara!" Sokka screamed, several other unfamiliar words fallowing the call.

Zuko wondered if Hakoda could hear his brother on the other side of the river. Iroh launched several fireballs over the river, but with the combination of distance and his exhaustion, they exploded into the water before they could lend any assistance.

"Katara!" Sokka screamed again, this time throwing an oddly shaped metal blade into the air. A second later Zuko could see it fly into the throat of a man sneaking up from behind the waterbender. The attacker fell from his mount and landed part way into the river. They all watched as Hakoda pulled the blade out of the fallen man's neck, tucked it into his belt and drew water into the air. Several disks of ice began to form around the waterbender and with quick swinging motions, launched them into the forest. No one waited to see the results of the attack, instead watched as Hakoda, pivoting to face them and forced his arms out; causing a path of ice to form directly in front of the motion. Just as the waterbender began to run across the ice the trees began to fall. The sound of wood snapping exploded through the calm air. Large trees where falling into the river, causing waves of water splash over and shatter the ice path Hakoda and forged. Bark and leaves exploded from the water, flinging deadly shrapnel to fly into the forest and out across the river. Several sharp splinters rained down on them, drawing blood. Hakoda made it across just as the largest tree began to fall, collapsing parallel to the river and effectively blocking anyone from fallowing their direct path across the water. Another explosion rang out across the mountains, and the four where forced to dunk and splinters of wood rained down on them.

As the air silenced, Zuko rose to survey the damage. Across the river he could see several bodies pressed between the trunks of trees or sprawled out across the beach. Anything still willing to fallow them would have to not only regroup but spend hours if not days walking along the river to find a crossing. A sudden sob broke the silence and Zuko turned to see who had made it. Sitting in the sand was Sokka, cradling his brother. While Hakoda's eyes remained closed an arrow stuck out from his back.

"Katara!" Sokka scream, rocking the waterbender back and forth. Zuko could only watch as blood dripped into the sand.


	6. Secrets

Wanted

Chapter 6

Secrets

Zuko wondered what "Katara" meant as they collected themselves. The name struck him oddly for reasons he didn't quite understand. They had just been attacked; one of them fatally injured and all he could think about was the definition of some foreign word. He forgot about it quickly and helped his uncle to his feet.

They didn't wait long to pull Hakoda's unconscious body into the protection of the woods. Sokka insisted on carrying the boy himself while Zuko could only follow. Iroh stayed behind, burning away the droplets of blood that would otherwise leave a trail. Looking at the wound, and the steady stream of blood that flowed out, Zuko decided it would be a miracle if Hakoda managed to live. Sokka, on the other hand thought otherwise.

"Water. We need water." He declared, almost tripping over a fallen log.

'Water? I'm pretty sure it's going to take more then just water to fix this. Probably even a blood transfusion or three.' Zuko wanted to say, but kept it to himself. He really didn't need to be the voice of icy reason.

"Is the child a healer?" Iroh asked as he shot out several small darts of flame, causing the blood to sizzle and evaporate.

"The only one outside the Northern City." Sokka replied, still rushing frantically forward. He almost fell into a pool of water a moment later. A look of sheer relief flooded over his face and he slowly bent forward to set his brother into the pool.

"Wait!" Iroh protested, stopping Sokka suddenly. "The pool is too cold, hypothermia will only make the healing harder to accomplish if not impossible."

"Well then what the heck am I supposed to do then?" Sokka yelled, frustration evident in his pained and dirty face. Looking around Zuko realized that they were all dusty and covered in forest litter, sand and mud.

Iroh turned to Zuko, "Nephew, can you please heat the pool?" He requested. "It doesn't have to be hot, just warm enough so the chill doesn't kill the child."

"I don't see-"

"Please Zuko." Iroh interrupted, pointedly looking at the dying waterbender.

Zuko quickly looked away from the hideous wound sticking out of the waterbender's back. It was a war arrow, meant to pierce thick armor and steal. Currently it was wedged deep mid-back, narrowly missing the waterbender's spine. He had no idea how anyone other then a highly trained physician could even come close to managing a recovery. And they were in the middle of a mountain forest without even a bag of rice to their name. How could this possibly be a hopeful situation? Sighing, Zuko decided that there was probably something he didn't know and he was only wasting time contemplating doubt. Quickly he rolled up his sleeves and plunged his hands into the water. He almost pulled them out again when he realized the icy temperature of the pond.

Uncle had been right. The water probably would've killed anyone other then a firebender. He began to heat up the pool as rapidly as he could. Behind him he could hear his uncle talking to Sokka.

"You're going to have to remove the shirt."

"Hakoda wouldn't want that." Sokka replied. "I don't want that."

"I assure you, Zuko is no threat." Iroh whispered, though Zuko could still hear it. "Your secret is safe with us."

"I'm going to get beaten for this." The young man sighed. A resounding rip sounded through the air, signaling the complete removal of the waterbender's shirt.

"The pool will cool quickly, so I suggest having Zuko take her into the water."

Zuko spun around. Her?

Long flowing brown hair spread across the forest floor and a shirtless torso exposed crisp white breast bindings that had effectively hid the presence of a feminine form. Long slender arms and wide hips forced Zuko's jaw open. Hakoda was not a boy.

Zuko stared dumbly at young woman covered in blood. This whole time he had been traveling with a master female waterbender, a rarity almost unheard of. 'Katara' suddenly made sense. It was not a word for 'brother' or anything else that would've made sense earlier. Katara was her name.

"Why was this a secret?" he asked, standing up to face Sokka fully.

The younger man sighed, visibly dropping his shoulders. "It's a really long story."

"I'd usually say, 'I have time.' But it appears that we don't." Zuko replied coldly, angry that he had been tricked so soundly. Even his uncle knew and did not tell him!

A pleading look passed over both Iroh's and the Water Tribesman's face. "I promise I'll explain the story later, just please help her now. She's dying and she's all that I have left."

Zuko knew that feeling; knew the plea. He still didn't completely understand how a lukewarm pool of water was going to save the life of the girl laying in the moss, but for some reason Uncle and Sokka were convinced it was a possibility. He decided he'd get made later and help now.

"What do I do?" he finally asked.

"Just keep the water warm and make sure she doesn't drown." Sokka explained. "The light is a bit intense. Don't let it startle you, it's not dangerous."

"Light?"

Iroh chuckled quietly, "You will see. But the time to act is coming to a close, so lets move quickly."

With that Zuko bent over the girl and gently picked her up, careful not to aggravate the wound that was already causing the color to drain out of her tanned skin. An ashy parlor was starting to settle in her face, giving her the look of death. Zuko wondered if they were already too late.

"Just step into the water." Iroh instructed, helping his nephew down into the pool. True to Iroh's prediction, the water had already cooled dramatically and Zuko was forced to raise his inner fires to raise the temperature. The pool was deeper then he anticipated and Zuko soon found himself chest deep. Zuko held Katara close to his body to ensure that she stayed warm. Her head rolled back into the water and he was forced to cup the back of her head with one hand while his other arm braced against her hips.

He briefly wondered how he could possibly mistake Katara's distinctly feminine body for that of a seemingly prepubescent boy. He suddenly realized that she was probably closer to his own age then had guessed and wondered how their group dynamic would change now that her identity had been exposed. He wondered if she'd start talking and tried to guess what her voice would actually sound like.

"You need to pull the arrow out." Iroh called from the edge of the pond, drawing Zuko's attention back to the present, looking down at the arrow he could see that tendrils of blood were slowly beginning to turn the water pink.

"What?" both Zuko and Sokka asked in shock. Pulling the arrow was the last thing you wanted to do with a wound like this!

"You need to pull the arrow out. She can't heal herself unconsciously and the shock of removing it will wake her enough for her to, hopefully, start the process." He explained.

"Hopefully?" Sokka asked, looking as ashy pale as his sister.

"Well… I've seen it happen before." Iroh reasoned.

"You better be right old man." Sokka replied. "Because I promise you're not going to want to see what happens if your wrong."

Zuko moved to set Katara's head against his shoulder and wrapped his fingers around the thick shaft of the arrow. "Sorry." He muttered into her ear before he gave a firm tug. A loud squelching sound signaled the removal of the arrow and Katara's body went ridged as she threw her head back and let out shriek of pain. A moment later the water of the pool illuminated into a bright shining blue and Zuko was temporarily blinded.

As the light began to fade, Katara's body began to relax, falling limp and submerging before Zuko caught her and pulled her head above the surface. Heavy breathing and a light coughing caused the waterbender's lungs to spasm and Zuko strained to keep her moving form as high above the surface as possible. Before Zuko could fully realize the intentions of her actions, Katara's arm gripped Zuko's shoulder and she pulled herself up so they were face to face.

Zuko looked at her dumbly as he held her body to his. A look of anger passed over Katara's face. "Crap." She muttered before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she promptly passed out.

"Did she just say 'crap'?" Sokka asked, pulling a thick blanket out of his sister's pack.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Is it a full moon?" Sokka questioned.

"It will be tomorrow." Iroh answered.

"Then yes." Sokka replied. "That's a very bad thing."

A/N: Two updates in two days! Aha! Thanks to sokkantylee and ElizabethIII for their lovely reviews! Critiques and reviews would be much appreciated, but you know… just reading it makes me happy.


	7. Stories

**Wanted**

**Chapter 7**

**Stories**

**

* * *

**

Katara slept through the night. Zuko half expected the wound to completely disappear, but a bright pink scar marked the location the arrow had once resided. He briefly wondered what she could've done for him and his family's wounds had she been there that night so many years ago.

The memories forced him to push his thoughts about her away. He was thinking about her too much.

She was present for the massacre of her own people. She couldn't help even them at the time. There was no point in wondering what she could've done for him, or Lu Ten even. But still he watched her as she slept quietly, cared for by her brother. He watched as Sokka dried and redressed his sister, and then gently attempted to braid her hair. When it didn't seem to work he huffed and tucked the thick mass into the collar of her loose blue tunic.

An hour later the three men sat around the fire finishing off the last of a small rabbit-squirrel Zuko had managed to catch before sunset. Clouds of steam misted off the bowls of soup and from the breaths of everyone present. It was a cold night.

"So, young Sokka," Iroh began, customarily tucking his hands into his sleeves like he always did when he was getting comfortable. "Why has your sister been disguising herself as a boy?"

'_Subtle' _Zuko thought, setting his bowl aside and pulling his cloak tighter around his shoulders.

Sokka sighed and glanced at his sister before returning his attention to the fire. "She is the only female waterbender we have ever encountered outside the Northern City. To boot, she's the only female waterbender trained in combat even within the walls of the north. It looks weeks to convince them to teach her, and only by chance did she manage to sway Master Pakku's conviction."

"They don't train women in the north?" Iroh asked, mildly surprised. In their shared and unshared experiences, both Zuko and Iroh knew all other nations trained women in the same arts as men. Even the extinct Air Nomads trained their nuns to defend themselves.

"They do, but only as healers." Sokka sighed. "It was this huge shock to Katara that our sister tribe would deny a seemingly basic knowledge and ability. She couldn't understand it and fought the tradition every step of the way. We learned a lot about our people that winter." Sokka laughed. It was laced with cynicism however, and no hint of humor existed in the short outburst.

"You see, the Southern Tribe has been dealing with Fire Nation raiders for the past hundred years. Our city used to be even greater then that of the North. But after a hundred years of attacks and kidnappings our city… our culture was all but obliterated. Katara and I were the first children born into our tribe in almost a dozen years. Katara was the first waterbender born in almost twenty. We had to keep her a secret. The Fire Nation makes point of collecting our benders. Outside the borders of our tribe, we found out that Katara was even rarer then we had originally thought. She was caught several times and almost sold as a performance slave. Apparently rare and beautiful girls fetch a good price in the markets of the Earth Kingdom." A bitter and furious look passes over Sokka's face before he continued. "Katara made her first kill when she was almost fourteen. They came in the night and took her, all it took was a kick to the head and there was nothing I could do. I didn't get to her until the next morning. It took me hours to find her, but when I did she had already escaped."

"It took her a few weeks to get over that, and I still think she dreams about it."

Sokka took a moment to finish the last of the watery soup, even attempting for a moment to feed it to his unconscious sister. Zuko took a moment to look at the peaceful face of the female bender. She was beautiful by most standards and he could see why someone would want to have her for something as scandalous as a 'performing bender'. He wondered how she had gotten so good at hiding the obviousness of hiding beauty like hers. Years of practice seemed like the answer. She shared the same tanned skin with her brother. And while Sokka kept his dark brown hair pulled back and the sides shaved clean; Katara's hair all but cascaded down her back. He wondered why she kept it that way. It would've made sense to chop it off, making her disguise as convincing as possible.

"We decided upon the disguise after our run-in with a rebel named Jet. He had set up a small encampment to the northwest of Serpent's Pass. He liked to ambush Fire Nation troops and sabotage their supply lines. I didn't really like him, even Aang managed to hate him and that kid can't even eat meat he loves everything so much… but for some reason Katara really admired the efforts he was putting up against occupying troops. We didn't really realize how much effort that meant. He ended up using Katara to destroy a dam in hopes of drowning out a battalion of Fire Nation troops occupying a town downstream. If Katara had known what he was really up to, we would've been gone in a matter of minutes. She takes death very seriously after what we've been through. In the end we saved the town. But despite that, Katara was framed by Jet and the Fire Nation has a bounty on her head for her 'attempted mass murder of Lord Ozai's subjects."

Zuko flinched at the name of his father. In the company of only his uncle the name was never uttered.

"So we decided that they couldn't execute her if they couldn't find her." Sokka sighed, pulling a bone out of the soup pot and sucking on it. "It's important that we keep her a secret. She's kind of a big deal for more then just the Fire Nation."

"How's that?" Iroh asked.

"The Avatar." Sokka replied. "He has these… uncontrollable emotions when it comes to Katara. If someone ever tried to hurt her, or if he ever found out what happened to her today, he'd pretty much explode. And I'm not exaggerating on the exploding part."

"Is the young Avatar smitten?" Iroh asked, looking amused.

"Katara would say that she's just a mother figure for the kid." Sokka grumbled, muttering something about pre-pubescence under his breath. "Toph on the other hand thinks he's totally head over heels in love."

"What about you?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

Sokka gave him a mild look of surprise. "Me? She's me little sister, what else am I supposed to think other then, 'keep your hands off my sister'?"

For a moment Zuko had the distinct feeling that Sokka's response was meant for him. Stay away from his sister? Of course he'd stay away from her. What was the point of getting close?

He thought about that, quickly turning his head away from Sokka's pointed stare. Him and Katara? The thought seemed kind of ridiculous. Sure Katara was beautiful and powerful in the same fell swoop; but was he even interested in her that way? Fire and water? He wanted to say no. He wanted to deny the attraction. Thinking back on their interactions, he cringed a little bit. She had rescued him, attacked him, traveled with him and all without uttering a single word. He had no idea who she was let alone the fact that he hadn't know her true identity until that afternoon. He had to admit the revelation wasn't displeasing.

But no, Sokka had nothing to worry about.

Iroh, on the other hand, had a look on his face that was not missed by either young men.

* * *

Sokka didn't know if telling their story, even if it was only half the story, to the firebenders was a good idea. He could already anticipate Katara's bad reaction when she woke up. And the fact that the next evening would be followed by a full moon didn't calm his nerves the least bit. In fact, his stomach turned at the thought. He almost wished she'd sleep through it. But if she did, they'd be even more behind schedule then they where already. They'd already be showing up a day late at their rendezvous point with Aang and Toph. Any later and he didn't want to think what Aang would resort to in order to make sure his precious Katara was okay.

It didn't help that he had noticed Zuko eyeing Katara even before the hot head had realized she was a girl. Sokka wasn't an idiot, he knew his sister was pretty, and having one more guy to worry about (a firebender especially!) was almost a little too much for him to handle.

But, the more he thought about, he realized Katara would probably like it even less then he would. He almost relaxed at the thought. But then he realized _how _much she'd hate it, and again he shivered at the thought.

Katara was down right terrifying when she was angry.

It was almost a curiosity she wasn't born a firebender.

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**A/N:** Of course it's about to get interesting! Don't you think? It'd be nice to know what that was exactly. Reviews are always appreciated and held dear to my heart.

Speaking of reviews: Special shout-out to **Sumhope** for all her awesome reviews AND for her awesome story! **_Shell Shock_** is probably one of the most realistic AU Post-Sozin Comet stories I've ever read on this site. It is incredible and you're missing out on 21+ chapters of awesomeness if you don't read it. (You can find it in my favorites.) It's always pretty cool when two authors get hooked on each other stories.

Anyways, you might be able to expect another update with the next 12 to 24 hours. Exciting, hmmm?


	8. Ice

**Wanted**

**Chapter 8**

**Ice**

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Water is a mysterious power for firebenders. While they possess the ability to call upon their element with a whim, fire only exists in it's single form; never changing.

Water flows much like fire, moving around its surroundings, embracing and encompassing. It flows gently, powerfully, or fearfully. It may begin as a light mist or a silent trickle, yet soon can grow into a torrent. Left unchecked water could wash away anything not standing strong.

Yet water sets, it hardens, it holds, it locks and doesn't let go. Slowly it will move grinding against the very earth to move mountains, to carve a new landscape. It shatters and sharpens, glinting in the sunlight, showing it silent malice. And just when you think you'll be crushed or torn to ribbons… it melts and continues on as if you had never existed.

* * *

The first hint to her awakening began with the rising of the full moon. It rose early, the sun still behind high in the sky as it peaked above the tree tops. Frost soon followed. Zuko would've attributed it to the fact they were high in the mountains, if not for the fact that it slowly radiated from Katara's sleeping form.

"I'd wake her up, but I'm honestly afraid for my life." Sokka admitted as the huddled around the dying fire. The fog set in a moment later.

"I will admit," Iroh added when the fog choked out the fire, "This is a little unnerving. Are you sure she's asleep and not… how would you put it? Messing with us?"

"Trust me, Katara's anger runs deep. We've exposed her. It doesn't matter to her if it was unintentionally or if it was life or death. She's was comfortable and felt safe. Now, she's pissed and she doesn't need to be awake to let us know."

"Would it be a bad idea to hide?" Iroh asked.

"Terrible idea." Sokka responded, looking disappointed to deliver the news. "We're just going to have to face her."

She rose just as the sun was setting, a fact that made the firebenders more then a little uncomfortable. They derived most of their power from the sun, and now it was slowly disappearing for the night. Zuko only had a vague understanding of Katara's abilities, but he was sure that two firebenders against an enraged waterbender with the full moon hanging overhead wasn't even close to being a fair fight.

Zuko, however kept these thoughts to himself. He was sure everyone else had come to the same conclusion.

A low moan signaled them to her awakening.

"Is there anyway of defusing her?" Iroh whispered as they watched Katara slowly sit up.

"If there is one," Sokka whispered back, "I haven't quite discovered it yet."

Slowly Katara began to stand, she wobbled a little but no one made a move to help her. Zuko wondered for a split moment if Sokka was blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Then he watched as her hair fell into her face and she froze. She knew.

Blazing eyes turned on them, a mess of wavy brown hair swinging it's wake.

"Sokka!"

She didn't have to yell. She didn't have to scream. But suddenly everyone was frozen in place.

"I can't believe you." She started, still sitting on the ground and roughly pulling her boots on. Her hair once again fell in her eyes, and a moment later deft fingers where binding it in a messy braid. "This was your idea! You're the one who's insisted I go parading around the world as a boy! Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep your mouth shut when people are trying to communicate with you? When they're treating you like dirt and all you want to do is tell them to shut it?" she seethed as she dressed herself. It was like watching a whirlwind. Slowly though, as she got moving and her anger began to build, so did the ice. He could feel the chill creeping up his legs and through the log he sat upon.

"Look, Katara-" Sokka began before Katara cut him off.

"Don't even start." She hissed. "You knew better, you knew I'd be angry."

"We had to heal you!" Sokka responded, standing up to confront her.

"No." she said, waving her hand out at her brother, who promptly found himself on the ground. "You sit."

Zuko did a double take. It was almost like she had pushed him without even touching him. That, or Sokka had expected her to bend water at him and startled himself to the ground. But Katara continued her rant, distracting him from his thoughts.

"I don't care if I had a hundred arrows sticking out of my back, you knew better." She seethed, standing over him. Once again her hair was out, tumbling over her shoulders and hanging in front of her face. Two small beads of blue glass glittered in the moonlight. _'She must've woven them through her hair.'_ Zuko thought he rather liked it.

"And you!" Katara hissed, suddenly turning on Zuko, "Don't even think about getting any ideas."

The light air of charm Zuko was starting to feel for Katara suddenly snapped, and all he saw was an enraged waterbender getting in his face. Quickly, he stood. Katara let out a light squeak but held her ground, tipping her head back to glare.

Any day before that night Zuko would've looked down and seen a short, weak, young man still cutting his teeth. Now he looked down and saw a woman that probably had a little to much power, maybe too much isolation from reality and her own identity.

"I'm not here because of you." Zuko grumbled out defiantly, not bothering to make the height difference between the two any more pronounced.

Katara narrowed her eyes in defiance, still not backing off. "I don't-"

Zuko cut her off, "I'm here because your dragging my only remaining family through the Southeastern Earth Kingdom to teach a little boy to be an assassin."

The air, if it was possible, stilled and grew even colder. He could feel the ice creeping up his boots and felt the threat in air. He knew just then she would try to kill him, or force him to see the world through her eyes and her way.

He called flame to his hands long before he could hear his uncle protesting behind him.

She made the first move, calling forth the blade of ice he had seen her cut down forests with. He could hear them slice through the air as they passed by his head. He couldn't help but give her credit for cutting to the chase. She wasn't playing around.

But then again, neither was he.

He wondered if she saw the burning wave coming. He couldn't help but wonder if she had fought firebenders before. He hated to admit that his fighting experience with waterbenders was limited. But one thing he knew above all else; she held herself to the ground.

The martial forms of firebenders, waterbenders, and earthbenders especially, all maintained a root stance; a strong base posture from which every bender drew their strength. Over the years of private torturing and the running that took place after their escape from the Fire Nation his uncle's biggest lesson was always to sever this connection.

"_Break their root Prince Zuko!"_

The wave of fire moved quickly, eating the short distance between them. He expected her to stand her ground, perhaps use a whip to break the wall, forcing her to use up the limited supply of liquid… perhaps using the distraction of collecting more to get the upper hand…

But she jumped. He wasn't expecting it and the move momentarily distracted him. Waterbenders rarely broke their stance with the ground and when they did it was briefly and in a manner that would ensure that the bender would almost immediately be back in a strong standing position.

But Katara literally launched herself over the volley of flame. Not only did she break her root, but completely left the ground in a manner he had never seen before. She didn't land on her feet, but instead rolled into a kneeling position and used the momentum to pull several daggers of ice over her head and through the air at Zuko, who was forced to raise a curtain of flame; vaporizing the darts into points of harmless steam.

But as he called the flame away, he expected to see the waterbender distracted as she called water to her arms. But as the flames parted and he prepared himself to attack he was suddenly forced to defend as two more disks of ice hummed almost silently through the air; one cutting towards his neck while other aimed to cut him down at the knee. He was forced jump between the narrow spaces between the two blades. He could hear them slice through a tree behind him. And then a whip of water was slicing through the grounds a fingerbreadth from his head. Quickly he scrambled to his feet, retreating and attempting to root himself in a proper stance. He was just managing to call form daggers of flame before a curtain of ice washed over his legs and torso.

He tried moving. But he was sealed in his stance. He began to shiver.

"I may be shorter and younger and apparently weaker then you," Katara started as she walked up to him slowly and methodically. Her blue eyes glowed with fury. "We all have things to learn and relearn about each other. But what you need to learn right here, right now is that you have nothing to say about the Avatar and his abilities. I don't care if you're a banished prince, but until you're the last of you're kind, you're not allowed to say anything about what it takes to avenge the genocide of your people. Aang surpassed childhood the day your nation burned down his people and was forced against his will to avenge them. So if you ever think of saying anything else that pertains to Aang and the duty he has been given to save the world from your father your going, I will kill you." She took a calming breath and reduced his icy binding back into water. "This is your last warning."

And then she walked away to continue to pack up camp.

Zuko had to admit that, despite the fact that he had seen her fight before, he had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Not only had she handed his dignity to him on a frigged platter of ice, she was giving him the option of life or death. He knew her story, or at least, parts of… but Zuko began to wonder what had happened to her to force her to harden herself on such a level. He wondered if that's how he looked to a passing stranger.

A hardened, banished firebender with a scar to mark his shame.

But at the moment he was wet and shivering.

Sokka, to his surprise, handed him a blanket.

"You're lucky." He muttered, sounding a little worried, and perhaps a little amused.

"How so?"

"She let you fight."

Zuko wondered what that was supposed to mean.

* * *

**A/N:** I took me a long while to figure out how exactly to write this chapter. There are so many things I want to happen… but the elasticity of the plot, of course, has its limitations. Not everything can happen at once and the things I might not necessarily want nor plan may or may not happen. Anyways… The whole point of "Zutara" is the balance that must be forged from the volatile explosion that first occurs. After that, of course, we look forward to that gentle burn. Because I'm sure all of us here love the smolder that is Zuko and Katara.

Also, I would love to thank **nephertiri **for her wonderful review and support. It means a lot to me when the effort I put into originality and quality is recognized. So, THANK YOU, you rock. :)


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